If Only If Only
by The Dork Lord
Summary: Kiara Rambeau, daughter of Eloise Midgen, fell for her brother's best friend, Albus Potter, her first year. She is a fifth year now, and just as she convinces herself that she is going to have confidence and go for him, a foreign exchange student from Italy comes and turns her world around. And then, on top of that, she may or may not be at the bottom of the social totem pole...
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

**Hi guys! This is my first multi-chapter fic, so reviews and constructive criticism will be loved! Also, this story is kind of based off of my life, and all the characters are organized around my friends, family, crushes, etc. Basically what happens in here has happened to me, but blown up into bigger proportion to make it a little more interesting. Unfortunately, that does not include the magical stuff ****. So I really hope you like it.**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

"Kiara, over here!" I looked around for the source of the voice, finding my best friend waving at me from the other side of Platform 9 3/4. I ran over to her and gave her a squishing hug. Clara looked up at me, her gray eyes twinkling with excitement. Clara was five-foot-one, making the two of us a strange pair to see walking down the hallway, especially with me being five-foot-eight. Clara Flicker was one of those girls that you meet and just can't NOT like, with her big gray eyes, strawberry-blond hair, and friendly smile. Every student and teacher in Hogwarts loved her.

"I've missed you!" I sighed, and Clara nodded in agreement. I, on the other hand, am the exact opposite. I had blond hair and blue eyes, sure, but my hair was an out-of control frizzy-curl, and my eyes were just normal. They didn't even twinkle, like Clara's did, or pop out like my other friend Madeline, but they were just a plain, old, normal dark blue. Did I mention my face? Yeah, aside from having a baby face still (I'm fifteen, for Merlin's sake!), I have really bad acne in red blotches all over my face. Curse genetics.

"Have you greeted your brother and his friends yet?" Clara asked suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows as my brother passed, laughing with his posse of friends. I quickly smacked her arm as soon as they blended back into the crowd of students and parents. My brother, Joseph Rambeau, a Gryffindor sixth year, was the lucky one and got the good half of the genes. He had brown hair, chocolate eyes, very mild acne, was muscular, and, to top it all off, he was nearly six foot. It wasn't fair, really, how he got mostly my dad's looks. Not that my mom wasn't pretty, no, not in the slightest. She was absolutely beautiful, with long blond hair that fell in soft curls, quite unlike my wavy mess, and a smile that reached her vivid blue-green eyes when she laughed. My dad wasn't half bad either, you know, for a dad. Dad, or Nicholas Rambeau, was from France, so naturally he got the good looks. He has black hair (with little streaks of gray I won't let him forget) and chocolate eyes also, but if you look behind the innocent mask you will see the mischievous prankster within. My brother's friends were all the same way: good-looking, smart, kind, pranksters. They were popular too, but how could they not be?

"Oh who cares, Joseph wouldn't have heard me anyway," Clara said, rubbing her arm where I had punched her. "But of course, we both know you didn't care about Joseph-" She trailed off suggestively. I punched her again.

I guess I should probably explain more about my brother. He is VERY protective. I don't think he even realizes that he is, but I have never had a boyfriend (partly because I've never been asked out), though it might help if I weren't so afraid of my dad's judgment. This poses a problem when I am completely obsessed with his best friend, Albus Potter. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is Harry Potter's son either, as I had no idea who the hero was until my first year when I opened my first chocolate frog card. However, it has everything to do with those eyes; a deep emerald, they captivate me every time our eyes happen to meet (which is quite a lot). His deep voice never ceases to give me chills, either. But, by far, what first got my attention in first year was the way he seemed to fade into the crowd-or attempt to I guess. He IS Harry Potter's son, after all. I always wondered why someone so incredibly good looking and talented would want to go unnoticed, but he seemed to run from all the attention. That, and his eyes, drew my attention all the way back when I was eleven and sitting in Joseph's compartment. He was just so...mysterious. Normally I can figure out a person well enough to be able to know what they will laugh at, or what to say in an awkward situation, but he's so different. I guess it helps that those stupid eyes get me tongue-tied every time I look at him.

I glared at Clara. "It doesn't matter right now does it though? We haven't even gotten on the train yet and you are already teasing me!" I accused. "It's our fifth year; I don't want to start it off in a detention for hexing you."

Clara laughed. "I need to be able to make up for the time I'm going to lose on the train! You'll be in the prefect's compartment the whole time, leaving me bored!"

To top it all off, the professors seem to love me. I don't know what I ever did, but they all tend to go a little bit easier on me than everybody else. I mean, sure, I'm smart (the Sorting Hat almost put me in Ravenclaw for my 'sharp wit, cleverness, and academic interests'), but I don't really talk to them; I'm that kid who sits quietly in the back of the classroom trying to take as many notes as possible without drawing too much attention to myself. But, unfortunately, the professors call me out as much as possible, which calls more attention to me, and, by default, my face. I'm the 'nerd' of the school, or at least my grade, even though I'm a Hufflepuff. Not that it bothers me, I like being the nerd, but sometimes I want to be known as someone other than "that Hufflepuff nerd". I'm not necessarily picked on, but imp just ignored. Everyone knows my name, and my face, but I'm just not always acknowledged. I assume it's either because of my looks, grades, or my inability to stand up for myself. For some reason, McGonagall thought I had 'potential as a prefect, and might be in the running for Head Girl'.

"Speaking of prefects, are your patrols only with those in your year?" Clara asked, an innocent smile on her face.

"No... Why?"

"Just Curious. Who're the sixth year Gryffindor prefects?"

"Albus and Devin, obviously. There's no way it wouldn't be theirs." I humored her, almost positive as to where this conversation was going.

"So the possibility of you both being on patrol some night is pretty probable, isn't it?" She urged. I shrugged. "Ah," Clara sighed, "I can see it now. Patrols. Middle of the night, wandering the halls. Alone. Just the two of you. Maybe he'll reach for your hand in the darkness-"

"Look threes Madeline!" I nearly shouted, cutting her off hurriedly. I ran over to our red-headed friend, embracing her as well.

Madeline Kelley was positively beautiful. She had big, blue-green eyes with long black lashes and waist-length wavy auburn hair that accentuated her slight frame. Many people knew her as the most beautiful of our year, maybe even in Hogwarts. Madeline is quite the princess, always proper and fancy, and loves it when she is called that. Despite her popularity, Maddie has a kind heart, and an incredible sense of humor. Always the bookworm, she was sorted into Ravenclaw, and like the rest of her family, her brains mostly stick to the books. Outside of school, Maddie is really an airhead. I always wondered why she, someone so perfect and popular, chose to hang out with me, the acne-ridden nerd.

"I missed you guys!" Madeline said, hugging us both. "I don't see why we don't just get together in the summer. I'm always so LONELY!" she finished dramatically, throwing her arms around us both again. I laughed.

"Maddie, you have four little sisters," Clara explained with a sigh. "Not to mention an older sister too—"

"But those guys are so BORING!" Maddie sighed exasperatedly. Clara continued as if she hadn't heard her.  
"—so if anyone has a reason to be lonely, it's me."

I scoffed. "Clara, you have four siblings, all of them in different houses, and you're saying YOU had a boring summer?"

"Well, we all know your summer wasn't boring," Clara shot back. "You have a brother who has hot friends that you see all the time!" she folded her arms, seeming proud of her argument.

"Ooh! Kiara Belle Rambeau! You did not tell me they visited! How long did they stay?"

"Hey! I never said they visited! Nor did Clara! No boys visited my house!

"I should certainly hope not, Kiara," said a new voice. "You are going to get yourself a new reputation."

I whipped around to face Michelle Andrews, my best friend since second year, already in her robes, and covered her in a bear hug, which quickly turned into a group activity. Michelle was my first girl friend. She was a little shorter than I, and had shoulder-length brown hair that hung just above her prefect badge. She was pretty, outgoing, popular, and a Ravenclaw, so I generally stayed away from her. I had always hung around with the guys during my first year, but when I was partnered with her for a long term potions assignment, we became friends quickly. After that I started paying more attention to the girls in my dorm, and them to me, and soon I had found myself a whole new group of friends.

"But anyway," Michelle said, after the excitement had calmed down. "Where there hot boys at your house?" All three of them looked at me eagerly. I rolled my eyes.

"Not for long periods of time. They just flooed over for the day and played quiddich a lot."

"Did you play as well?" Michelle asked, and the other two nodded enthusiastically, waiting for an answer. This was getting ridiculous.

"I think that's an obvious answer, since there are five of them and six are needed for an even game. But it means nothing guys, seriously, it's just Quiddich." I added hastily at Michelle's knowing look and Clara's and Maddie's high five.

"Guys think its sexy when girls can play sports too," Michelle said, grinning wildly.

"Do guys also think its sexy when girls try and fail at anything athletic too?" I asked, mock hope on my face.

"I've actually heard they do, now that I think about it," Clara said, bringing a hand to her face and pretending to stroke a beard. She turned to Maddie, "Do you recall something like that?"

"I actually think I do. It seems to make sense doesn't it? I do believe I also heard our dear Kiara say she saw her "friends" more than once?" Maddie looked to me again, eyes twinkling mischievously. All three girls waited expectantly.

"Fine. Whatever. Yes, I did see him a few times at church activities," I said, frustrated that they had gotten so much out of me. "I'm going to go say goodbye to my family, I'll see you guys on the train, I think." I gave a quick, teasing glare, then turned and ran back in search of my dad. Unlike many pureblood families, ours was religious. Many wizards didn't believe in a higher deity that created us, but my dad, a pureblood, attended a muggle service in Godric's Hollow, the closest town to where we live. There we met the Potters, who started going under the influence of some muggleborn friends they had made. In fact, many more witches and wizards started to attend—probably because Harry Potter was doing it— then kept coming for themselves. Slowly, religion was growing on the magical community (Except for the biased magical families that didn't want to have anything to do with muggles).

"Goodbye Peanut Butter!" Clara shouted across the Platform, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I had friend who now lived in America that listened to silly songs, and she taught me one about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I taught it to my friends—who all thought I was crazy—and they took an entirely different meaning to the words "I'm peanut butter and you are jelly". Now they call me Peanut Butter and Albus, whenever there is someone there who doesn't know about my obsession, is called Jelly. It was completely mad.

Not paying attention to where I was going, and being my clumsy self, I tripped over one of the many pairs of shoes passing by and went crashing to the ground. Muttering a mild swear word, I pushed myself up, brushing off my hands on my pants, and looked up. Right into vivid green eyes.

"Are you okay?" Albus Potter asked in his deep, captivating voice. He looked uncomfortable, and I noticed that he was alone. The rest of his gang, including my brother, were probably already on the train, claiming a compartment.

"Yeah, thanks though. I'm sort of used to falling." I said, brushing off the muggle clothes I still wore.

He chuckled quietly, a deep laugh that made me freeze for a moment-before I caught myself and smiled too, saving myself from looking like an idiot.

"Anyway I was supposed to tell you; make sure you go to the prefect's compartment at the front of the train, and bring the new kid with you."

"The new kid?" I asked curiously, thankful for the opening to a conversation.

"Bill will tell you then." He stopped shuffling his feet and met my eyes. I stopped breathing. "You might want to change into your school robes. Most of the prefects do immediately."

"Thanks," I smiled finally gathering myself. He shrugged, looking at the ground.

"No problem." He started to back away. "See you on the train." He said, back to being shy again, gave a small little wave, and was gone. I had to take another deep breath. Conversations with him never lasted very long. He was shy, and my mind goes blank when I look at him. Maybe that would change with the new prefect arrangement.

Dad was deep in a conversation with Bill and Fleur Weasley, all speaking fluent French. They met on the platform Joseph's first year, and we attracted Mrs. Weasley's attention with our rushed conversations in French. My parents met at a ministry ball that my mother attended in France, where my dad was from. There was a debate after we were born about whether we would go to Beauxbatons or Hogwarts, but eventually the latter was chosen and we studied our French Heritage at home.

Mrs. Weasley saw me first.

"Kiara! Comment allez-vous?" She asked, giving me a hug. Our parents had become pretty close ever since Joseph's first year, especially since Louis Weasley and I were in the same year, and we often spent time together.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley, thanks." I responded, and then upon seeing my dad's stern look at my switch to English, I quickly continued, "comment allez-vous?" How are you?

I heard her respond, but my mind had already wandered elsewhere. That was the beautiful thing about Madame Weasley: she didn't linger on one person. By the time I had come back into the conversation, she was already talking to Dad, and a man who also showed up while I was daydreaming. He had dark brown hair, nearly black, and chocolatey eyes that seemed to twinkle with excitement. He was very tall, just over six feet.

"Kiara, this is Monsieur Rousseau, the Head of the Department of Magical Foreign Exchange. He just transferred to our ministry."

"Pleased to meet you."  
I said politely, trying to contain my excitement. Foreign exchange! Does that mean we're going to have a new student?

"Monsieur Rousseau is here with an exchange student who is in your year, and because you are a prefect, the Headmistress would like for you to show him around for the first few days, regardless of where he is sorted." My dad didn't look very comfortable, maybe because he was giving me permission to spend my time getting to know a boy, but he didn't exactly have a choice. Except for—

"What about Louis?" I asked. "Not that I have any problem with it, but Louis is also in my year and he's a guy, so..." I trailed off, genuinely curious. Fleur answered me this time.

"We all know how Louis is..." she stopped, seeming to look for the right word, "well, a young marauder." It was true. Joseph and his friends consisted of most of the Weasleys in that year, plus Albus and Louis. "The Headmistress didn't want the boy to start Hogwarts with detention."

I laughed. That seemed like reason enough.

"Miss Kiara," Monsieur Rosseau said quietly, "I would like you to meet our latest Hogwarts exchange student from Italy, Andreas." He gestured to a boy I hadn't noticed before, which is now hard to believe.

He was incredibly good looking. He had dark brown hair, and a tan skin tone that made his eyes stand out. His eyes were amazing. A very light blue, they had flecks of green that stood out against his darker complexion.

"Hi, I'm Kiara." I said, offering my hand. He shook it, and I couldn't help but notice how muscular he was. Quite muscular, in fact. It was almost intimidating.

"Pleased to meet you, Kiara," he said quietly.

The train's loud whistle sounded. I gave a rushed hug to my dad, then let Mrs. Weasley kiss both my cheeks before gesturing to Andreas and rushing towards the train.

"Your trunk?" I asked, noticing his lack of luggage.

"Already on the train," he confirmed, nodding. That sexy accent was going to drive me insane!

I nodded as well, not entirely sure how to continue this conversation. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Dang, this boy was attractive. 'Albus' I reminded myself. 'You like Albus'. I tried to come up with something to say.

"So, Italy, huh?

"Yeah," he nodded, "I love it there."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Just a brother," he shrugged, but then took a picture out of his pocket. "This is my brother, my mom, and my dad," he pointed to each in the picture a he identified them.

"How long ago was that taken?" I asked. He looked younger in the picture.

"Three years ago, I think." Andreas said, shrugging.

"You look different." That was a dumb thing to say. Of course he looked different, stupid, that was three years ago!

"Yeah. I was a fat kid back then."

I snorted. That was not the blunt answer I had been expecting.

"You know that's not what I meant," I laughed. He raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. "Maybe I meant it a little."

He chuckled, and I turned back to finding the prefect compartment. Albus HAD said it was at the front of the train, hadn't he? Speaking of which...

"You're supposed to come with me to the prefect compartment." I said a little uneasy. "We just have to find it first..."

Andreas nodded, and we kept walking towards the front of the train, which was just beginning to pull out of the station.

Finally (I was starting to get worried), we found the prefects compartment. I was about to step in when I remembered my muggle clothing. I turned to Andreas, who, like me, was not yet in uniform.

"We should probably change into our school robes before going in," I said, gesturing toward the loo that was also located at the front of the train. "I guess most prefects are already dressed."

Fully dressed in school uniform, a Hufflepuff prefect badge on my chest, we snuck into the compartment.

**So that's the first chapter! I really hope you enjoyed it…Review! I'll try to update soon!**


	2. Chapter 2: Eavesdropping

**Hey guys! Sorry for the REALLY long wait! I'm going to try to get this thing going, especially now that it's summer and I have no excuse for not uploading. This is kinda just a short filler chapter, just to get to know some of the characters better.**

**Disclaimer: I am not awesome enough to own Harry Potter.**

_Fully dressed in school uniform, a Hufflepuff prefect badge on my chest, we snuck into the compartment._

I breathed a sigh of relief. Only the new fifth year prefects, Head Boy and Girl, and a few other prefects (Albus included) had showed up on time. I went to go sit next to Michelle, who was in an animated conversation with my best and first friend, Samuel Hendstrom.

Sam noticed me first.

"Kia, you are looking quite beautiful today," he said enthusiastically, standing to greet me, and I barely contained my eye roll.

"You are looking pretty good yourself, Samson Handsome." I replied, giving him a hug. Sam and I were involved in what many would call a "Flirtationship", as we flirt all the time, but we are too much like siblings for anything to happen.

Michelle finally noticed Andreas, who was standing behind me looking uncomfortable.

"Kia," she said, then angled her head towards Andreas. "Introductions?"

"Oh yeah, Sorry!" I waved my hand toward my two friends. "Andreas, this is my best friend Samuel Hendstrom , Hufflepuff, who likes to be called 'Samson Handsome'." I said, smiling. "And this is Michelle Anderson, Ravenclaw, and my 'sister'. Guys, this is Andreas Nota.

Andreas politely shook their hands, and we sat down and waited for the rest of the prefects to show up. I looked around at Albus, who was now sitting with the 6th year Hufflepuff prefect, Nicole Brown, and her twin, Devin Brown, the other Gryffindor prefect. The Browns were muggleborn, but they met the Potters at the muggle school both families went to. According to Joseph, Mr. Potter insisted that the three Potters get a muggle education first, and they met the Browns, who just happened to turn out to be witches. Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy, the two Ravenclaw prefects, came and joined them.

Michelle elbowed me in the side.

"Dont stare too hard," she whispered grinning. I elbowed her back.

"I was just daydreaming and happened to be looking in that direction," I said, using the first comeback I could think of. Michelle's grin grew wider.

"And we all know what you were daydreaming about, Kiara," Michelle countered, wiggling her eyebrows. Sam leaned in.

"I don't know who 'we' is, but I would like to know about Kia's daydreams." I glared at him.

"As would I," said Andreas, on my other side. I turned my glare to him, after wiping the shock off my face.

"Hey, you're suppose to be on my side!" I told him indignantly. He shrugged.

"I figured you were outnumbered anyway."

"I was daydreaming about Sam." I said, hoping to turn the subject away from me. Sam beamed.

"I knew you were." He said putting his hand over his heart. "But the others might not believe in our love. Best to tell the truth, Kiara dear."

"Fine," I said, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes. Michelle looked surprised that I was giving in so easily. "I was dreaming about sandwiches."

Sam and Andreas looked confused, but Michelle seemed to be holding in her laughter.

"Sandwiches?" Sam asked doubtfully. "You were dreaming about sandwiches?" Andreas also looked skeptical.

"Yes. Don't you ever daydream about sandwiches?" I asked innocently. "I do all the time. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, in fact."

Michelle lost it here. She started laughing (an she has a LOUD laugh), and people started looking in our direction. I clapped my hand over her mouth and shushed her. James Potter, the Head Boy, was looking in our direction with a straight face, but amusement was twinkling in his eyes.

"Now that everyone's attention is focused," he looked at me. I was sure my face was beet red. " I'm going to ask that we start, and that the attention is up here."

"_Please_ tell me we don't have to endure that for the rest of our Hogwarts education?" Sam pushed open the door to a compartment that was empty.

"I'm sure that the worst is over," Michelle offered, rolling her eyes. We just finished the prefects' meeting, and I can rightfully say that it was not exactly entertaining. The only interesting part was when Andreas was introduced.

"I thought it was interesting." Andreas offered. "It's cool to learn how this school works."

"Yeah, but it's really boring when you have to hear it every year." Sam said.

"So what's it like at-" Michelle cut herself off. " I don't even know what your school is called." Andreas smiled.

"I go to Lagosaperes, Scuola di Magia," he eplained, then added, "or School of Magic."

Michelle's mouth dropped open. I tried not to laugh at her.

"Would you say that again please?" she asked, eyes wide. Andreas chuckled.

"Which part? Lagosaperes or Scuola di-" The door burst open, and Clara came rushing in, breathing heavily.

"Kiara! Michelle! There's a new kid! Supposedly he's really–" she cut herself off, looking at the group of people she had just walked in on. "Kiara, can I have a word? You too, Michelle." She glanced at Andreas, who was looking at her like she was crazy. I stepped out, and as the compartment closed behind Michelle, I heard Andreas mumble something about "Crazy English people". I smiled.

"You should be smiling, Kiara, showing around a fine specimen like him!" I jumped, blushing when Clara started laughing at me.

"I–what?" I wasn't sure how to respond.

"The Italian kid," Michelle explained, "is the most gorgeous human being I've ever laid my eyes on. Did you hear him?!" She and Clara giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, trying to shrug nonchalantly. I completely failed.

"Liar!" Clara coughed.

"Agreed." Michelle nodded. "She was staring at him every time she looked away from Albus!"

"We'll how often do you get a guy from a different country to spend time with? He's interesting!" I really needed to work on my defenses.

"Uh-huh." Michelle rolled her eyes. "Well, if I weren't dating Sean, I would so be going after him. Watch out, Kia, Albus might get jealous."

"Guys. You might wanna keep your voices down." A compartment door opened next to us. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized it was only Madiline.

"Yeah, no kidding." I glared at the two giggling girls. "They won't shut up." Maddie and I stared for a few moments at the two girls who were now trying to calm themselves, then looked at each other and burst out laughing. I took a deep breath.

"but seriously guys, there's nothing there. I'm only doing this for the opportunity, and to help a guy out." I was serious. I really liked Albus, and yes, this boy was nice, and _attractive_, but I barely knew him. PLus he would only be here for a few months, so whats the point anyway? I turned and opened the door to our compartment, taking my seat next to Andreas, the others following behind me. Clara wiggled her eyebrows at me. I glared.

"It's about time." Sam sighed, being over-dramatic. "You guys were gone for AGES! We're nearly to Hogwarts!"

"We weren't out there for even 5 minutes Sam. We're still hours away." Michelle pointed out.

"Well that's not very helpful to my boredom." Sam said leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes.

Everyone seemed to take that as a signal to relax. Clara leaned out the window and was asleep in seconds. Michelle opened a book, as did Madilyne. That left Andreas and I, both silent. I twirled my wand in an effort to occupy my hands. Well, this was a nice awkward silence. I turned to Andreas to attempt to start a conversation, but he was already looking at me, smirking.

"What?" I questioned. He just laughed, shaking his head.

"You girls need to learn to whisper."

**I hope you are liking it! Please let me know how I am doing! Constructive criticism is very welcome! Please review and I'll have the next chapter up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3: Kirstie Zabini

**Hey guys! I got two more reviews! I'm so HAPPY! Thank you so much for reading!**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write. :)**

**Big thanks to my new beta, VulTheFox!**

**Disclaimer: I have yet to find a way to own Harry Potter, so it all belongs to Joanne.**

Oh, bloody hell. Bloody hell, bloody hell, bloody hell! Why? Why me?! Wait, I have no reason to worry, all I said was that Andreas was interesting. I just wouldn't react in any suspicious way. I risked a glance at him. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something. I felt a blush start to heat up my neck. Well, there goes that plan! Wait–

"Yeah, they like to twist any information they get a hold of." There, that didn't reveal any information, did it? Wait, not reveal, there's nothing to reveal. He _is _interesting. That's all.

"They seem to." Andreas nodded, smiling. "But, no worries, your secret is safe with me." He winked.

I felt myself turning red again. Andreas just chuckled, shaking his head

"Sorry, it's just amusing." He settled back in the seat. "So tell me about yourself. I mean, we just met today, and all that I know is your dad works in the ministry and you are all friendly with the famous Harry Potter and his family." He said.

"Oh, I'm really not," I corrected him quickly. "Joseph–my older brother–is friends with Albus. And he talks to James sometimes. I don't really talk to Mr. and Mrs. Potter very often, unless I'm with Devin and Nicole. I'll introduce you to them later," I added, seeing the question forming on his face.

"The only Potter I really talk to is Lily," I continued. "Lily is a fourth year, a Ravenclaw, and she's the one you have to watch out for." I smiled. Just like her mother, she had a personality that matched her red hair, though a darker red than Mrs. Potter's. "She's really a sweetheart, though," I promised.

"I guess I'll find out for myself." Andreas replied. "What is your brother like?"

Oh, how to answer this question.

"He's...popular. I'm sure you'll meet him soon. In fact, I'm surprised you aren't shadowing him. He's barely older than you are, anyway. Maybe it's because he gets into too much trouble." I trailed off. That really didn't make much sense. Joseph was born early in the school year, in August, so he was seventeen already as a 6th year. Andreas looked like he had to be older than 16. There was just no way.

"How old are you, Andreas?" I asked.

"I just turned seventeen last month. July 3." He said. I knew I was right. "What about you?"

"I'll be sixteen in October." Whoa. That was creepy to say. Man, the years fly by. "I've only got two years left at Hogwarts." I said. "Well, three, I guess. I should count this year." I shook my head. There was only a little time left, and then I would be out in the real world. Maybe people would like me better out there. Maybe not.

"How does Hogwarts work?" Andreas leaned forward. "I mean, I heard you are sorted and stuff, but, by what means?"

"Personality," I said. "We have four houses named after each of our founders: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." It was always hard to not be biased when describing the Houses.

"Gryffindor is the house of the courageous. Their mascot is a lion. Most of them are fun people to be around, but there are a few who are too arrogant for their own good. "

"Isn't that what Harry Potter was?" Andreas asked.

"Yeah. He was one of the best. Both his parents were too, and Mrs. Potter and his sons. Lily is the only one who isn't. She's a Ravenclaw. That surprised us all, but I guess it makes the youngest of three and with many Weasley cousins, she has to be clever."

"And a Ravenclaw is..?" He whirled his hand, trying to get an explanation.

"Clever. A Ravenclaw is _very_ clever. Well, most of them. Some of them are just book smart." I looked pointedly at Madi. Andreas laughed.  
"Well, the house stands for cleverness and intelligence. It has an eagle mascot, good people, and the occasional snob who thinks he's smarter than the rest of the school. Just the usual. But yeah, that's where Michelle, Madi, and Lily are from, so it can't be _that_ bad."

"Hear, Hear." Madi said, not looking up from her book. Andreas and I locked eyes, and then cracked up, trying to stay quiet so as not to wake anyone. He had a cute laugh. It was almost boyish. It made his eyes light up, and his shoulders shook.

"Then there's Slytherin," I continued, taking deep breaths to calm down, "after Salazar Slytherin, the first Parselmouth. The mascot is a snake. Slytherin is all about ambition. Unfortunately, they have a bad reputation, what with Voldemort and Death Eaters and everything." It was a shame, really. The House itself really wasn't bad at all. I looked at Andreas, expecting him to say something, but he didn't, so I went on.  
"The people there really aren't bad," I said, "but it's just those few who aren't very, ah, _nice__. They're the ones who _give them a bad name." I shook my head. "All of the houses have produced dark characters. All except Hufflepuff, I believe."

Andreas had been silent this entire time. Was I boring him? Crap. Ok, I'll just stop–

"What about Hufflepuff?" He said, meeting my eyes again. Merlin, they were blue.

"I think Hufflepuff gets the worst reputation of us all." I said. "They are the House of loyalty, kindness, and humility. Therefore, the common assumption is that they are weak, and can't accomplish anything." I hated it. I refused to be weak. That's how I'm known in the school, though. "Just because they don't brag about everything, and keep their accomplishments to their selves, we are thought of as stupid, and _weak_." I said the last through clenched teeth.

"You are a Hufflepuff?" Andreas tilted his head to the side. He looked like a puppy.

"Yeah,proudly." I said, sighing.

"What is your mascot?"

"A badger." I smiled. I loved our mascot. Andreas frowned.

"That doesn't sound very kind."

"But it's loyal to its cause. A badger lies low, not drawing much attention to itself. When something threatens it, or what it loves, it can take down animals as large as wolves." My smile turned into a grin. I think it was getting a little creepy though, because Andreas raised his eyebrows.

"I'll not cross you then." He chuckled, and I joined him. "Who else should I look out for?" I smiled.

"Well, Sam and Clara are both Hufflepuff, as was my mom. So is Nicole, she's the sixth year prefect. Oh!" I jumped up. Sam rolled over in his sleep and leaned on Clara, who mumbled something about Pigmy Puffs.

"What?" Andreas was looking up at me, one eyebrow raised.

"You have to meet them! C'mon, they're cool." I slid open the door, stepping out of the compartment. Andreas followed. Michelle looked at me as I slid the door closed.

"We'll be right back." I whispered, poking my head back through the door. She just winked, then started puckering her lips and wiggling her eyebrows. I shut the door.

I turned back to Andreas. He was smirking.

"Oh shut up." I said, turning and walking down the train, searching for my brother's compartment. He followed, laughing.

"So where are we going?" He said, catching up with me.

"I'm trying to find my brother's compartment. You need to meet him and our friends." Devin told me the compartment number. It should just be right up here–

"Well, look who it is." A voice behind me said. I froze. Not here. This cannot happen in front of Andreas. I slowly turned around to see her. It was Kirstie Zabini, followed by her posse of had long, black hair that cascaded down her back, perfectly straight. She had makeup flawlessly applied to her olive-toned face, and she somehow managed to make a school uniform look glamorous. Her lip curled in digust as she took me in. I sighed. I would have to deal with the queen sooner or later.

"What do you want, Zabini?" I sighed. Kirstie dramatically put an olive-toned hand to her chest, swinging her dark hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, not very nice. I expected a more polite welcoming, Rambeau. We haven't seen each other all summer. I've missed your ugly, red face." She looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, contradicted by the malicious smile growing on her face.

"Seriously, Zabini, I don't have time for this." I turned to walk away, pushing Andreas in front of me to make sure he kept walking.  
"Why not?" Kirstie grabbed my shoulder and swung me around. "You're only on your way to take refuge with your brother and his, ah, very attractive friends. No doubt to get a taste of popularity." She stepped closer. "What's it like, I wonder, to have nobody like you?" She twirled my frizzy hair around her finger, scowling and putting her face right next to mine.

"Why don't you use your wand?" She whispered. "We both know you can curse me to Hell and back. You have the most powerful wand in the school. Why don't you?" She took a step back. "Oh that's right. You're a Hufflepuff. You're too much of a coward." The girls behind her giggled.

"That's enough." Andreas stepped between Kirstie and me, separating us. Kirstie seemed to just notice Andreas, who had his fists clenched and jaw locked, staring hard at her.

"Who is this?" She said, her eyes running up and down Andreas's body. "Obviously he's not _your_boyfriend. He's too gorgeous. Boys like him don't tend to like girls who are the ugly ducklings of the family." She looked back at Andreas. "Why don't you come and join us?" She said provocatively, putting a hand on his upper arm, the other on his chest. Andreas smiled. My hand tightened around my wand. I would _not_curse her. I would _NOT_. I had more control than that. They were just words. If he wanted to go, it would be better if he did. Andreas smiled.

"Yes, it seems like such a waste to spend time with someone who would only drop you lower on the social scale." He said. Kirstie's smile grew. I held my head high. She had won, we both knew it, but I wouldn't let it affect me. How humiliating. He seemed like such a nice guy. I wouldn't want to be close to a guy who leaves a friend to get laid anyway. At least it was only the beginning of the year. Andreas stepped back and put his arm around my waist. My skin tingled wherever it met his. "Shall we go find a compartment?" he asked, flashing a charming smile.

Wait, what? He smiled mockingly at Kirstie, then turned away, arm still around my waist. I stared at him. He grinned. "Close your mouth. It's more intelligent and attractive." I snapped my gaping mouth closed. His face softened. "You didn't actually think I would go with her, did you?" I heard a wand whip out, and I pulled Andreas down to the ground, casting a shield charm around us. A beam of red light flashed over our heads, hitting Kirtie in the chest and knocking her to the ground. She groaned. The three girls of the posse screamed and gathered around her. I turned to see Dominique Weasley, stashing her wand back inside her robe.

"You may not like to curse people, but there's no way I'm holding back on Z_abini_." Dominique shook her head, flicking her red hair out of her face. Andreas stood, helping me up as well, then dropped his arm quickly, guiltily. I felt a tinge of longing, but brushed it away. I ran forward and gave Dominique a hug.

"Dom! I've missed you!" I said. She laughed and hugged me back.

"You too. Now come on, before she wakes up. We can't get in trouble if we're not here. You too, um–" she stopped, gesturing to Andreas.

"Andreas Nota." He smiled.

"Dominique Weasley. It's a pleasure." She turned, beckoning us to follow. One of the girls on the ground with Kirstie stood up, blonde hair flying, hands on hips.

"You'll regret it, Weasley, Rambeau!" She shrieked. Dominique just flipped a rude hand gesture over her shoulder, yelled "No one cares, Nott!" and kept walking. Carley Nott just stood there, perfectly glossed lips opening and closing, making her look like a fish. I smiled, then hid it away quickly.

"Mum told me about you." Dominique said, looking behind her at Andreas. "My mum's Fleur Weasley. She works in the ministry in the Foreign Relations Department. I think you met her back at the Platform."

Andreas nodded, started to reply, but Dom stopped in front of us. I almost ran into her. She reached for the compartment door, then paused, turning to look at us.

"Let's just keep the whole 'Zabini' thing between us. Don't want to get Joseph all stressed out, do we?"  
I nodded quickly, relieved that no one was going to tell my brother. He would freak. Dom nodded her head once, then slid open the door. I was greeted with smiles and hugs and 'I missed you!'s before I turned around and looked right into a pair of bright green eyes.

**So, there it is! Please review, it makes my day! **


	4. Chapter 4: Hogwarts

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry about the LONG wait! Some complications with the process of publishing occurred. On the bright side, I almost have Chapter 5 done, so I'm hoping to get that to you sometime next week!**

_**I do not own Harry Potter**_

_ I turned around and looked right into a pair of bright green eyes._

**Andreas's POV**

I stepped into the compartment, not entirely sure what to do with all the hugging and "I missed you"'s going on around me. I felt like I was intruding in on something that I wasn't included in.

So naturally, when Dominique noticed, she included me, giving me a big hug and saying "Oh Andreas, I missed you so much!" then smirked at my shocked face.

I sat down in the closest spot available, right next to the compartment door. Kiara turned around to sit next to me, just as Albus Potter—that's right, _the_ Albus Potter—turned to sit down, and they locked eyes, both freezing as blood rose to their faces. _Interesting,_ I thought. Finally Albus seemed to catch himself.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Kiara!" he joked, giving her a quick hug and sitting down next to Nicole. Kiara looked like she was going to pass out, but she sat next me.

"Oh ha ha." Nicole said, playfully smacking him on the arm. "You're a funny one!" I laughed. These people were _strange._

I looked around the compartment. Nicole Brown, whom I remembered from the prefect meeting, had short brown curly hair and light brown eyes, and she looked exactly like her twin sister, Devin. She sat next to Albus; a boy who looked like a near exact copy of the man my _madre_ had a strange obsession with, minus the scar. He was tall, which instantly made me jealous. I was barely five-foot-ten, where as he had to be at least six feet. He was sitting next to a boy who was focused on a piece of paper, drawing on what looked like a layout of a large building. The paper was entitled, "Halloween Ideas", and the boy was mumbling something about 'more bats'. Dominique, who was standing next to the door, cleared her throat.

"Well," she said, "As cozy as this is, I think I'm going to go find my people. Nice to meet you Andreas." She turned and left, presumably to join her fellow seventh years. I looked around. It _was_ getting pretty crowded in here.

"So, guys, this is Andreas Nota, our exchange student from Italy." Kiara said. "You all met him in the prefect's meeting—except for Joseph, I guess." The boy in the corner looked up. He had dark brown hair that was messy in a completely organized way, almost as if he styled it like that. There was a smirk on his face that told me he was not someone I wanted to be around on April Fool's Day—or any day, for that matter. He had long eyelashes and, with a jolt, I realized he had Mr. Rambeau's eyes. He must be Kiara's brother. Joseph reached out his hand.

"Joseph Rambeau, at your service, sir." He said with a proper accent, shaking my hand. Then he grinned. "If you need any advice on things to do, fun, parties, or just shenanigans in general, I'm your guy." The proper accent was completely gone. He leaned closer and whispered in a voice that was obviously not a whisper. "I wasn't taken to be one of the rule-following prefects, unlike those _traitors_ over there." He jerked his head over towards, well, everyone else in the compartment. Albus looked offended.

"I'll have you know," He said, "I was almost late to the meeting today. I was _almost late._" His eyes grew huge. Joseph looked at me, as if to say, _Told you so._

"So, Andreas," Nicole was still shaking her head at Joseph. "Are you going to be a 6th year like us?"I nodded.

"Yes, I think so. At least, that is what they told me." Nicole nodded, as if that was what she was expecting. "I'm 17 already," I continued, "but they said that they did not want to put me in on NEWT year, especially since I'm only staying until Christmas. I'm just being put into some 7th year classes." I had to keep up with my school back home. Devin raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, so you're one of those super-smart kids who take the advanced courses?" She smiled. "We only have a few of those." She looked pointedly at Kiara, who blushed.

"You take advanced classes?" I asked her, a bit surprised. I wasn't expecting that. Not that she didn't seem smart, or anything—Oh, you know what I mean. Her eyes grew wide, and she glared at Devin.

"Only a few," she said, shrugging. "But it's really no big deal. There was some kind of mistake and classes became too full or something." She trailed off, becoming redder and redder by the second. I smiled. She was too easy to embarrass. Devin clicked her tongue.

"Oh Kiara, Hufflepuffs shouldn't _lie_ should they?" Devin turned to me. "Kiara took the longest of her year to sort. She's a Hufflepuff by nature, a Gryffindor in her decisions, a Ravenclaw in her studies, and a Slytherin when she duels. The Sorting Hat just couldn't decide where to put her, because she belongs everywhere. I swear she was going to sit on that stool all night." Kiara looked mortified.

"She's exaggerating. I'm a Hufflepuff. It's not—"

"No, Devin's right." Joseph put his map down and leaned forward. "Don't ever duel Kiara. It's downright _scary_."

"_Joseph!_" Kiara apparently didn't like the spotlight.

"She would never use any spells that would harm you," Joseph continued like he hadn't even heard her, "but it's like she can read what you are going to do. It's the only time she'll go on offense. Watch her duel sometime. She uses cleverness to figure out your style, then the bravery in her causes her to make the most of the situation, and ambition _won't _let her lose." Joseph wasn't looking at me anymore, but rather at his sister, his eyes sparkling with pride. "And then after she gets all humble and insists that 'she was just lucky', and 'the other person was really good', and so on. It's incredible. She's probably the most powerful witch in the school." He smiled. Kiara glared at her brother ina way that seriuosly made me fear for his safety. Just as she was about to protest, the door opened, and three more people appeared.

The boy in front had the same crooked grin that Joseph did: mischievous and playful. He had reddish-brown hair that he kept flicking out of his face, and despite the darker skin tone, he had freckles covering his face. His eyes were blue, and they sparkled with delight at the sight of the people in the compartment. I couldn't help but notice he looked familiar.

The boy behind him I knew from the meeting. He had silvery blonde hair and blue eyes, which weren't as happy as the red-haired boy in front of him, but rather seemed very deep. Yet he still wore a smile that grew every time he looked down at the girl holding his hand beside him, who wore a matching Ravenclaw prefect's badge.

The girl I remembered from the meeting as well. She had dark red curly hair that went all the way down her back. There was _a lot_ of it. A kind smile graced her lips and reached her blue eyes. She, too, had freckles across her nose and cheeks. She was, well,_ beautiful_.

The red-head boy jumped into the compartment, holding out his arms and announcing, "I'm here! Did ya miss me?" Without waiting for a response he squeezed himself in between Joseph and Albus, putting his arms around them and pulling them into a big, awkward bear hug. Kiara seemed to take that as a queue to leave.

"Well, we should probably go back to our compartment and give you guys more space." She stood to work her way out of the compartment, then seemed to remember something. She gestured to me.

"Oh and guys, this is Andreas Nota. He's our new student from Italy, 6th year." The boy removed his arms from around his friends and leaned forward, eyes gleaming.

"A new kid eh? Oh, we're going to get along _famously_." I wasn't sure what to make of that, but I grinned and shook his hand. "Fred Weasley. And I suppose Joseph and Albus already told you about us?" He grinned. I wasn't sure what that meant either, but the girl stepped forward and shook my hand.

"The boys are involved in a pranking group in the school. It's really quite ridiculous." She said, but she was smiling too. "I'm Rose Weasley." I smiled and said hello. The other boy behind her looked offended.

"Aw c'mon Rose! We're not _ridiculous._" He said the word the same way she did, and Rose rolled her eyes. "We're _ace_!" He reached forward to shake my hand. "Scorpius Malfoy. If you ever want a good prank, let us know. We'll see if we can get you in the group." He looked at Kiara, and his eyes lit up. "Or you can just ask Kiara! She's one of our top hooligans!" I turned and raised my eyebrows at Kiara. I was learning so much.

"Thanks Scorpius," Kiara grumbled, "Missed you too." She slipped out the door. "See you guys later!" I followed her, and then turned back to the compartment. Rose and Scorpius had already taken our seats.

"Nice to meet you all." I said, a little self-conscious. I looked at Joseph, Albus, Scorpius, and Fred. "I'll talk to you guys about the pranking thing later." Then I shut the door and hurried after Kiara.

Turns out I didn't need to hurry. She was waiting for me right there. I stopped myself just before running into her, putting my hands on her shoulders so we didn't both topple over. I looked up and realized our faces were centimeters apart, uncomfortably close.

My stomach fluttered. I mean, I hadn't thought about Kiara like _that_, but when a girl is so close you can count her eyelashes, any guy would get butterflies. Her eyes widened, and she stepped back. I said something intelligent like "Um gah uh." I shook my head, muttered "Sorry," and we walked in silence down the corridor.

The lights had turned on in the train, and I realized it was getting dark out. We had to be getting close to Hogwarts.

"Hey Kiara," I said. She turned around. "How close are we to Hogwarts?" She shrugged.

"Probably about fifteen minutes. Not too long." She slowed down, waving her wand over parts of the wall. I was confused until I realized this was where Kirstie had cornered us. She must have been fixing the evidence. There were a few black marks on the wall where the charms had hit, and the paint was peeling where Kiara had cast her shield charm. I waved my wand over it, watching the paint fix itself, and we continued on.

I still couldn't believe some of the things Kirstie had said. Kiara was so nice (and apparently powerful too), and I couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her.

"Kiara," I said. She turned around, but I couldn't seem to find the right words. "Does that Kirstie girl...I mean, is she usually...why would—"

"I'd really rather not talk about it Andreas." She interrupted me. "It's done and over with." She smiled at me, and I nodded, still confused. Kiara slid open the door to our compartment, and we stepped in.

"Well, look who finally showed up!" Clara said as we entered the compartment. Michelle grinned.

"Someone doesn't know the meaning of 'We'll be right back'!" she giggled. "You've been off snogging for _hours!"_

"This time we seriously _are_ almost to Hogwarts!" Sam said, more to Kiara than me. That made everyone laugh.

"Kiara!" A blonde boy of about sixteen ran at Kiara, tackling her with a huge hug. Kiara laughed and hugged him back.

"Hey, Louis." She said. Louis's gray eyes found me, and I gave kind of an awkward wave, like _'Sup._ Louis grinned, then lunged at me. I swear to you, I saw my life flash before my eyes. I had a moment of panic as the boy embraced me too.

"I don't know who you are, but hello!" He said into my shoulder with a slight French accent. I looked at Kiara, and I must have looked pretty taken aback because she and Madeline were holding in smiles. I slowly patted him on the back, and then tried to push him away. He straightened up. "My name is Louis Weasley." He stuck out his hand.

"Pleasure. Andreas Nota." I said. Louis's eyes widened, and he shook my hand enthusiastically.

"Oh! You're the kid from Italy! My mom, Fleur Weasley, told me about you! It's so cool to meet someone else from a different country!" He let go of my hand, then sat down next to Madeline. Kiara cleared her throat.

"Oh, sorry Kiara," Louis said, but he didn't look sorry at all. "It was cool to meet you when I found out you were from France too." Kiara rolled her eyes.

"Louis is Dominique's sister," she said. "He's a Ravenclaw though."

Louis smiled. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!" he said in a sing-song voice. I laughed. I could see the similarities between the two now. The same blue eyes, the same freckles across the same nose. And he had that same aura about him as well. Dominique had seemed to glow with confidence and beauty, and Louis was like the male version of her, only with blonde hair instead of red.

I noticed another boy in the compartment. He stood and shook my hand, then said in a deep Irish accent, "I'm Ethan MacDougal. Nice to meet you." Which was strange, because he was shorter I was. His voice did not fit his height.

The train began to slow down, and everyone sat to stay balanced.

"How are they going to sort me?" I asked. I can't believe this hadn't occurred to me earlier. "I mean, do I line up with the first years, am I called up separately, will I have to turn ninja and sneak around the school because I wasn't sorted correctly...? What's going to happen?" Wouldn't that be exciting? I could sneak around invisible and go to classes and slip into dorm rooms to sleep at night. No, it really didn't sound fun at all.

Kiara laughed. "You're supposed to some and sit with me, and then when you get called to get sorted after all the first years, you go to your table." She smiled reassuringly. "And there's at least one of us in each house, so we can guide you around."

The train lurched to a stop, and we all stood and shuffled out of the compartment, trying to beat the crowd. We got off at an old station in a little town bustling with people. A massive lake sat to my right, and as I looked across it, I caught my breath. The most beautiful castle I had ever seen was reflecting off the black surface of the lake, nearly every window flickering and glowing against the night sky. Towers shot off into the stars, only visible by their dark pointed silhouettes.

There were black wooden carriages pulled by strange, skeletal horses lined up along a long dirt road. As the group began to pile in, I stepped forward to admire the beasts. I had never seen anything like them before. Maybe we just didn't have them in_ Italia_. One of the horses turned to me and whinnied, stretching out its leathery wings. Kiara gasped behind me. I figured it had startled her, but she was staring at me, wide-eyed.

"You—you can see them too?" she whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth. It was my turn to stare.

"Yeah, of course I can. Why?" She was acting pretty overwhelmed. Then she shook her head and grinned, all traces of worry gone.

"Nothing." She said, stepping past me to the carriage. "Let's go."

I stared out the window most of the carriage ride. The forest passed by, and I swear I saw a few centaurs in the depths of the forest, watching us pass. The trees grew thinner and thinner, until they opened up completely to reveal the magnificent castle, standing above the grassy rolling hills surrounding it on one side. On the other, the dark lake stretched out to the little town, its lights twinkling.

The carriage stopped. We piled out, and I followed the crowd through a set of large wooden doors, down a high-ceilinged corridor, and through another pair of oak doors. My jaw dropped at the sight before me. Four tables stretched out in front of me each with a different color on the banners around them. I followed Kiara to the yellow table, which was sitting between the red and the blue. I made the mistake of looking up while I walked, making my jaw drop again so I walked around with my head back and my mouth hanging open. Above me, thousands of candles provided light around what I assumed to be a dining hall. Higher than that, there seemed to be no roof. The night sky glittered peacefully above us, and it was only when I noticed the beam of the high ceiling that I realized it was enchanted. I sat down next to Kiara, still staring at the ceiling.

I looked at Kiara. "_E 'bellissimo_," I murmured in awe, "_fantastico_." Kiara nodded, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Andreas."

**Hope you liked it! I should have the next chapter up shortly. Review please!**


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